Everyone who actually left me a comment, thanks. I've been able to fill in a few blank spots on my stat counter.
Okay. Enough of the stat counter drama.
My mom and a distant cousin (I think I figured out that he's my 2nd cousin, twice removed) Cory, are here right now. They got here Sunday night around 8:30. We just hung out and visited. Yesterday, Cory took the boys to play laser tag and to a place called Celebration Station in Baton Rouge. Mom and I went to the grocery store. Today we went to New Orleans and checked out a little bit of the French Quarter. Tomorrow, George, Cory and the boys are going to the lake to do some tubing in the morning.
It has been CRAZY hot here for about 2 weeks. I don't know what's up with that. We've lived here since January 2004. It has NEVER been as hot here as it is here already. Today when we got back to the car from the French Quarter, it was 111 degrees in the parking lot. By the time we got back to Zachary, it had cooled down to 103. I think it will be worse tomorrow. Zac has a scrimmage tomorrow night at 7:00. I should be cooled to 85 or 90 degrees.
On top of it being stupid hot, we can't swim right now. We've had a yellow algae bloom in the pool and are having a tough time killing it. I think one more treatment ought to get it fixed. It'll be a long rest of summer otherwise.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Magical Mystery Tour
Mystery solved.
Remember a while back when I was freaked out by all the hits on my blog? Well this morning I looked at my stat counter and had 48 hits overnight!! When I looked at the details, about 40 of them were me, all in a row.
Last night I started reading my own blog and reminiscing about the past year. I started this blogging/public journaling thing about a year ago, and read the entire thing. As it turns out, every time I clicked a picture, changed a page, or followed a link, it would hit my stat counter.
Mystery solved. There is not some freak-show out there bent on stalking me and my family.
Remember a while back when I was freaked out by all the hits on my blog? Well this morning I looked at my stat counter and had 48 hits overnight!! When I looked at the details, about 40 of them were me, all in a row.
Last night I started reading my own blog and reminiscing about the past year. I started this blogging/public journaling thing about a year ago, and read the entire thing. As it turns out, every time I clicked a picture, changed a page, or followed a link, it would hit my stat counter.
Mystery solved. There is not some freak-show out there bent on stalking me and my family.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I Fought the Law
Thank God for all the hope and change...
Click on the image to enlarge.
**UPDATE: In case you didn't notice, these are all mug shots. See if you can find the common link.**
P.S. I don't know the origin of these photos.
Click on the image to enlarge.
**UPDATE: In case you didn't notice, these are all mug shots. See if you can find the common link.**
P.S. I don't know the origin of these photos.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
No More Words
...or at least not too many words.
Here is a picture post of events from Spring Break up 'til now (with captions).
Have baseball gear, will travel.
It was cold, overcast, and drizzly.
Cold, overcast, or drizzly...it's Spring Break. We WILL eat outside on the patio and we WILL swim.
Watching movies, reading, relaxing. Sweet Cousins.
Finally, it warmed up enough to ride Sea Doos and swim and blow bubbles in the water.
A boat ride; relaxing for some, but not everyone.
Bloom where you're planted.
Not what I would've planned for Mother's Day, but good nonetheless. See previous caption.
Team swim party.
Hanging around at home, trying to clean the living room rug after our sweet puppy ruined it.
Zac with his hair cut and braces. He looks older.
Time Marches On.
Here is a picture post of events from Spring Break up 'til now (with captions).
Have baseball gear, will travel.
It was cold, overcast, and drizzly.
Cold, overcast, or drizzly...it's Spring Break. We WILL eat outside on the patio and we WILL swim.
Watching movies, reading, relaxing. Sweet Cousins.
Finally, it warmed up enough to ride Sea Doos and swim and blow bubbles in the water.
A boat ride; relaxing for some, but not everyone.
Bloom where you're planted.
Not what I would've planned for Mother's Day, but good nonetheless. See previous caption.
Team swim party.
Hanging around at home, trying to clean the living room rug after our sweet puppy ruined it.
Zac with his hair cut and braces. He looks older.
Time Marches On.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Words
With all this talk about my stat counter, it has an interesting feature. I can do a keyword analysis to see what words bring my many readers to Ragsland. Usually, they're the usual, my name or Wheel of Fortune. I figure those are people who can't remember the exact address, but remember those stories and get here that way.
The most recent different one, I think, was probably a surprising answer to their google query: "How to keep from losing your house."
If you've been with me a while, you know how I feel about that.
Sadly, a google search does not give the option of living within your means. Most of the responses to that search I read blamed the housing market, predatory lendors, layoffs, or just the bad economy (which seems to be the catch-all phrase for poor decision making).
It's never just the individual's fault for trying to keep too many balls in the air at once.
The most recent different one, I think, was probably a surprising answer to their google query: "How to keep from losing your house."
If you've been with me a while, you know how I feel about that.
Sadly, a google search does not give the option of living within your means. Most of the responses to that search I read blamed the housing market, predatory lendors, layoffs, or just the bad economy (which seems to be the catch-all phrase for poor decision making).
It's never just the individual's fault for trying to keep too many balls in the air at once.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Get Together
C'mon people now...
I wasn't kidding. I neeeeeeeddd you to leave me a comment. See, when you come to my blog, I get a hit on StatCounter. It gives me an IP address (I think that's the web address from whence you came, like your e-mail or internet server {cox, comcast, road runner}). If you leave me a comment, I can compare it to the StatCounter info and name your IP address, therefore learning who all has been here.
I don't really want to name names, but, Wendy and Billy, and Rhonda maybe, I know you were both here and didn't leave me a comment (so I may confirm). The comment doesn't have to be complicated; just a shout-out with your name.
Help a sista out, yo?
I wasn't kidding. I neeeeeeeddd you to leave me a comment. See, when you come to my blog, I get a hit on StatCounter. It gives me an IP address (I think that's the web address from whence you came, like your e-mail or internet server {cox, comcast, road runner}). If you leave me a comment, I can compare it to the StatCounter info and name your IP address, therefore learning who all has been here.
I don't really want to name names, but, Wendy and Billy, and Rhonda maybe, I know you were both here and didn't leave me a comment (so I may confirm). The comment doesn't have to be complicated; just a shout-out with your name.
Help a sista out, yo?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
1,2,3,4
Usually sometime every morning, I look up my stat counter for this blog. Yes, indeed, I installed a stat counter to keep up with who all comes to check us out here on the edge. Actually, my very good friend Susanne had to help me install it, but I've kept it going and understand how to use it.
That being said, when I looked at my stats this morning, there were 35 hits! Normally that would thrill me as it would indicate that more than the usual 10 people find The Ragsland interesting, funny, poignant, or compelling; a definite must read for your day! But it freaked me out a little because all 35 new hits were from the same person over the course of 3 minutes. What the heck? Was there a bad internet connection which only allowed 10 seconds at a time? I was flummoxed.
What I want you, yes you, reader, to do is to leave me a comment. Include your name and how you wandered over to The Ragsland. Even if I know you, I need you to help me with this; I don't want to change my address, but I may need to if the lurkers don't come out of hiding.
Thank you. That is all.
That being said, when I looked at my stats this morning, there were 35 hits! Normally that would thrill me as it would indicate that more than the usual 10 people find The Ragsland interesting, funny, poignant, or compelling; a definite must read for your day! But it freaked me out a little because all 35 new hits were from the same person over the course of 3 minutes. What the heck? Was there a bad internet connection which only allowed 10 seconds at a time? I was flummoxed.
What I want you, yes you, reader, to do is to leave me a comment. Include your name and how you wandered over to The Ragsland. Even if I know you, I need you to help me with this; I don't want to change my address, but I may need to if the lurkers don't come out of hiding.
Thank you. That is all.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Face Down
Remember this guy? Yeah, the jack ass she threw out? I don't remember if I told you that she finally threw him out. It was wonderful for about 6, maybe 8 weeks. Just her and the girls. She came out and visited, the girls came over to play, sans the WILD little "step-brother" who is always hungry and wants you to feed him.
Well, he was living with his mother somewhere on the west side of THE river and SHE (his mother) THREW HIM OUT!! He came back to M's house looking to just crash on the sofa for a couple of days until he could figure everything else out. You know how the rest of it goes. He was, obviously, irresistible. What, with the belittling, and the verbal abuse, not to mention the physical abuse. What's not to love? So, now he's back...with the crazy little boy.
I tell you all of this to tell you this story...
Tuesday evening while the boys and George were at practice, I went to Wal Mart. I haven't been shopping in WEEKS and the pantry was down to pretty much corn starch and brown sugar. Now, I'm a pretty creative cook, but I need a little more than that.
So anyway, I was at Wal Mart. I had just gotten there and had 2 things in my basket, hairspray and a pack of razors, when my phone rang. It was an operator from ADT Security. (We got an alarm system about 2 1/2 months ago--best money ever spent.) He said that the burglar alarm was going off and did I want him to dispatch the police? I was so surprised that I told him I didn't know, and what do people usually do in this situation? He said, "It's up to you Mrs. Ragsdale," probably choking back a laugh at my idiotic question. I said sure, go ahead. He turned off the alarm, dispatched the police and asked me about how long until I got home. Zachary's a pretty small town, so I was only about 5, maybe 7 minutes from home. I beat the police home.
Now, let me tell you this. Shredder was in the house, so I had the alarm set for "stay" so he wouldn't set off the motion detector. I left the back door unlocked because I wasn't sure if George had his house key. The gate across the driveway was closed and all of the gates around the backyard were closed. When the alarm is set and you come in, there is a 45 second warning beep before ADT is notified and the big alarm goes off.
When I got home, the back door was ajar and every light in the house was on. Luckily, Shredder was still inside. When I leave Shredder in the house, I close all of the doors to the bedrooms and bathroom so we don't get any surprises on the carpet (We've thrown away the living room rug. It was beyond cleaning. It was also over 10 years old, believe it or not.). I wasn't afraid to go in the house because I'd figured out what happened while I was on my way home.
I went around and turned off all the lights and looked around. Everything was fine. Still no police.
I went to the backyard and could hear the backyard neighbors (whom we really like) outside and could see the jackass with them. I opened our back gate (which we put in when we replaced the fence after Hurricane Gustav so the kids could get to the block behind us without going around the block. Perhaps you remember that we live on a pretty busy street?) I was a little more than perturbed when I asked them if they heard the alarm going off. The neighbors (whom we like) both shrunk up like little children in trouble and said they didn't hear anything. The jackass said that Ethan (hell child)went over and knocked on our back door but came back because no one was home. I, of course, went high and to the right and said that the police were on their way because our burglar alarm alerted the ADT people who then dispatched the police.
I, then, waited for the police. When the cruiser finally arrived, I told him that the back neighbor set off the alarm and everything was okay. In the mean-time, hell child came back to jackass to talk to him. My other neighbor (whom I like) asked hell child if he opened our back door. He said yes. It was only then that jackass acknowledged that there was something to say to his boy.
***Aside. The boy was in our house for at least 45 seconds; probably longer. He had enough time to turn on every light in the house!!! Close aside.***
OKAY...Now skip to Tuesday. (I began this post on Monday, immediately after all of this. Tuesday just piles it on. I'm finally pulling it all together on Wednesday.)
George and the boys are at practice. Jackass finds George at the ballpark (because his "step" daughter is playing softball) and tells him that I was incredibly rude to him and he didn't appreciate it. George, being the consummate gentleman and situation smoother, said that his wife does have a temper (he's walking on shaky ground here) and she was scared and nervous that she was called from shopping to attend to a potential burglary call at her home.
George came home from practice to tell me that jackass found him at the ballpark to tell him all of this. His solution is to not invite the (diagonal) back neighbors over and place a lock on our back gate. That's fine with me. My attitude is...if he wants to belittle or abuse a woman, I'm there. I will take him on. I'm taller and bigger than him. I can (will) take him.
George reminded me this morning when I dropped him off at the church, for the first of his several youth trips this summer, not to engage the neighbor. Before you all go crazy; I know, I will not engage this crazy man! I just know that he's a loser, but I'm not afraid.
Well, he was living with his mother somewhere on the west side of THE river and SHE (his mother) THREW HIM OUT!! He came back to M's house looking to just crash on the sofa for a couple of days until he could figure everything else out. You know how the rest of it goes. He was, obviously, irresistible. What, with the belittling, and the verbal abuse, not to mention the physical abuse. What's not to love? So, now he's back...with the crazy little boy.
I tell you all of this to tell you this story...
Tuesday evening while the boys and George were at practice, I went to Wal Mart. I haven't been shopping in WEEKS and the pantry was down to pretty much corn starch and brown sugar. Now, I'm a pretty creative cook, but I need a little more than that.
So anyway, I was at Wal Mart. I had just gotten there and had 2 things in my basket, hairspray and a pack of razors, when my phone rang. It was an operator from ADT Security. (We got an alarm system about 2 1/2 months ago--best money ever spent.) He said that the burglar alarm was going off and did I want him to dispatch the police? I was so surprised that I told him I didn't know, and what do people usually do in this situation? He said, "It's up to you Mrs. Ragsdale," probably choking back a laugh at my idiotic question. I said sure, go ahead. He turned off the alarm, dispatched the police and asked me about how long until I got home. Zachary's a pretty small town, so I was only about 5, maybe 7 minutes from home. I beat the police home.
Now, let me tell you this. Shredder was in the house, so I had the alarm set for "stay" so he wouldn't set off the motion detector. I left the back door unlocked because I wasn't sure if George had his house key. The gate across the driveway was closed and all of the gates around the backyard were closed. When the alarm is set and you come in, there is a 45 second warning beep before ADT is notified and the big alarm goes off.
When I got home, the back door was ajar and every light in the house was on. Luckily, Shredder was still inside. When I leave Shredder in the house, I close all of the doors to the bedrooms and bathroom so we don't get any surprises on the carpet (We've thrown away the living room rug. It was beyond cleaning. It was also over 10 years old, believe it or not.). I wasn't afraid to go in the house because I'd figured out what happened while I was on my way home.
I went around and turned off all the lights and looked around. Everything was fine. Still no police.
I went to the backyard and could hear the backyard neighbors (whom we really like) outside and could see the jackass with them. I opened our back gate (which we put in when we replaced the fence after Hurricane Gustav so the kids could get to the block behind us without going around the block. Perhaps you remember that we live on a pretty busy street?) I was a little more than perturbed when I asked them if they heard the alarm going off. The neighbors (whom we like) both shrunk up like little children in trouble and said they didn't hear anything. The jackass said that Ethan (hell child)went over and knocked on our back door but came back because no one was home. I, of course, went high and to the right and said that the police were on their way because our burglar alarm alerted the ADT people who then dispatched the police.
I, then, waited for the police. When the cruiser finally arrived, I told him that the back neighbor set off the alarm and everything was okay. In the mean-time, hell child came back to jackass to talk to him. My other neighbor (whom I like) asked hell child if he opened our back door. He said yes. It was only then that jackass acknowledged that there was something to say to his boy.
***Aside. The boy was in our house for at least 45 seconds; probably longer. He had enough time to turn on every light in the house!!! Close aside.***
OKAY...Now skip to Tuesday. (I began this post on Monday, immediately after all of this. Tuesday just piles it on. I'm finally pulling it all together on Wednesday.)
George and the boys are at practice. Jackass finds George at the ballpark (because his "step" daughter is playing softball) and tells him that I was incredibly rude to him and he didn't appreciate it. George, being the consummate gentleman and situation smoother, said that his wife does have a temper (he's walking on shaky ground here) and she was scared and nervous that she was called from shopping to attend to a potential burglary call at her home.
George came home from practice to tell me that jackass found him at the ballpark to tell him all of this. His solution is to not invite the (diagonal) back neighbors over and place a lock on our back gate. That's fine with me. My attitude is...if he wants to belittle or abuse a woman, I'm there. I will take him on. I'm taller and bigger than him. I can (will) take him.
George reminded me this morning when I dropped him off at the church, for the first of his several youth trips this summer, not to engage the neighbor. Before you all go crazy; I know, I will not engage this crazy man! I just know that he's a loser, but I'm not afraid.
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